Planting and chemical granular dispensing systems for dispensing seed and insecticides, herbicides, fungicides or fertilizers, have made the handling of seed and chemical granules less hazardous to the agricultural worker by providing a closed container system, such as those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,301,848 and 4,971,255, incorporated by reference herein and the SmartBox® System marketed by AMVAC Chemical Corporation. Briefly, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,301,848, access to and from a container in a closed container system is available through a single opening in the bottom wall of the container, offering distinct advantages over an open-top, non-removable container design in an open container system. Planting and chemical granular dispensing systems for dispensing insecticides, herbicides, fungicides, and/or fertilizers, have made the handling of seed and chemical granules less hazardous to the agricultural worker.
Closed container systems provide a removable container, which is pre-filled with the chemical granules of toxic materials such as insecticides, fertilizers, herbicides and other pesticides, thereby eliminating the need to open and pour bags of chemical granules into storage hoppers. Because the closed container system is largely not open to the air, agricultural workers have less opportunity to come into contact with the chemical granules, thereby reducing skin and inhalation exposure to the hazardous chemicals.
While closed container systems reduce the risk of chemical exposure to agricultural works and others and still dispense the insecticides, pesticides, herbicides or fertilizers based on a desired rate, the amount of chemical granules dispensed is often still greater than what is needed to provide a desired effect. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,343 describes a planter system in which chemical granules are dispensed along the entire length of the seed furrow, or trench. In this situation, much of the dispensed chemical granules in the seed furrow are not effectively used due to the distance from the planted seed, reducing overall efficiency.
Research has indicated that it is inefficient to use the conventional method of dispensing chemical granules, in which chemical granules are dispersed over an entire length of the seed furrow in which seed is planted. Instead, dispensing smaller amounts of the chemical granules of insecticides and other pesticides in close proximity to the seed not only obtains the desired effect of eliminating insects or pests, but also reduces the amount of chemical agent that is used to obtain such an effect. As such, the result is more cost effective, environmentally friendly, and less hazardous, while maintaining the desired effect of the chemical granules.
Previously described methods and machines for dispensing chemical granules utilize a pulse plunger or paddle wheel mechanisms. These approaches lead to pulsing or non-continuous flow of granules, and result in friction due to grinding action, which requires high torque to drive the device. Previous methods and systems also lack the ability to drive dispensation of chemical granules using an electric motor, and thus do not permit control of granule flow rates by adjusting rotational speed of the electric motor.
There is a need for a chemical dispensation that more closely regulates the amount of chemical dispensed.
There is further a need for a chemical dispensation system that can be driven by use of an electric motor.
There is a further need for a chemical dispensation system that prevents or mitigates clogging, permits a broad range of flow rates, and reduces or mitigates pulsing.